Hello Beautiful Souls! Finally, a “proper” travel blog post after two years of the pandemic. Last summer, I travelled to Greece to visit Athens and five different islands in two weeks. This holiday was my first time travelling with tour operator Djoser. The first stop was Athens, where we had only two days to see it all. So if you are heading to Athens for a few days, keep reading this blog post. There are five top must-sees in Athens, which you will feel like you saw it all.
Here is the itinerary of my five things to do in Athens within two days.
Acropolis
If you miss the Acropolis, you haven’t been to Athens. The best way to enjoy the Acropolis and to learn something from it is to go on a guided tour. This ancient site has so much history. You will see the most beautiful archaeological site at the highest point of Athens. The four [outstanding] architectural wonders here are the Parthenon, Erechtheion [the Temple of Athena Polia], Propylaea and the Temple of Athena Nike. All of these architectural wonders are from 400 – 500 BC. It is astonishing that you still have a glimpse of something so ancient. Unfortunately, over the years, [lots of] objects and treasures of the site have been confiscated. They are now in many museums [over the world]. The British Museum has lots of the Acropolis due to Lord Elgin, who stripped the Parthenon sculptures to sell them to the British government. It is now called Elgin Marbles.
Acropolis museum
If you have to choose one museum to visit in Athens, this should be it. Here you will find [lots of] artefacts that they found on the Acropolis from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It is truly heaven for historical lovers. There is a part of the museum where you can’t take pictures, but the statues you see here are one of a kind. The museum is doing a great job of keeping the sculptures alive by recreating the original colours from an ancient culture.
Some historical sites
If you wander around in the [historical] old town, you will see most archaeological sites. Some ancient architecture is mesmerising and visible from the outside. However, if you want to see them up close, you can pop in any of these sites for a fee. The below sites you will see while walking in Plaka and the surrounding neighbourhoods; Temple of Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, Hadrian’s Library, Roman Agora, Ancient Agora of Athens, and Odeon of Herodes Atticus.
Syntagma Square and Change of the Guards
Go to the Presidential Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to see the “Evzones” guards change every hour. It is a tradition and part of the city. The Evzones originated in 1868 as a division of the Greek army.
Plaka by day or night Monastiraki Square
If you need a place to stay in Athens, Plaka, a lovely [vibrant] old town, is an excellent choice. This town is on the East side of Acropolis hill. It has picturesque narrow streets, markets and boutiques. On the North side of Acropolis Hill, you will find Monastiraki Square. The Square is captivating by night. You can see the Acropolis from here.
One of my favourite restaurants was Diogenes in Plaka. I had a delicious risotto there. The cave of Acropolis is a good restaurant for drinks with a view of the Acropolis. I suggest having dinner in the old town as there are many lovely restaurants to try out.
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